Post Israel
by njayne58
Summary: An AU version of what might have happened if Tony had been more seriously injured in Israel. All characters belong to CBS and I am just borrowing them.


Chapter One

He lay on the hot cement, unable to move. His head, his shoulder and his hip throbbed. She had left him lying there without a backward glance. He deserved it, he guessed. He would just lie there awhile until the throbbing stopped. After a few minutes, he tried to move. Pain shot through his hip and shoulder. His broken arm joined the chorus of anguish. He closed his eyes. He'd try again in a few minutes. …

He awoke slowly trying to figure out where he was—a hospital from the antiseptic smell. It was cooler, at least, than the cement had been. Someone must have found him and moved him here. He opened his eyes. It was a hospital. He was lying on a narrow bed with rails at the side. Above him were florescent lights that gave a cold bluish tone to everything.

He turned his head to see a man sitting at the bedside. Not Gibbs though. It was Amit Hadar, the Israeli director's second-in-command. He said, "Waking up, Agent DiNozzo? You took quite a hit. Who knocked you down? Did you know who did this to you?"

He shook his head—a mistake. The throbbing increased. "No, "he said, his voice seeming to come from far away. He knew who had undercut his legs sending him crashing to the cement, but he didn't plan to share that with Amit Hadar.

"You're pretty banged up. Concussion, dislocated shoulder and cracked hip—and they had to reset your radius... The doctor put back your shoulder while you were out. Be glad you missed that. You had three stitches to your scalp where your head hit the ground." Amit said, shaking his head.

"Need to go home, "he said, his voice growing stronger as he spoke.

"Your Director Vance has ordered the plane to go in three hours. You should stay here at least a day."

"No, I need to go home. " he stated and smiled through his pain, "Not that I haven't enjoyed my stay here in Israel, but I want to be on that plane."

The other man nodded, "The doctor won't like it, but we can get you there. You can take more pain medication when you're on board so you can sleep. Do you want me to call Agent Gibbs?"

"No, don't tell him. He doesn't need to know. I've got some medical leave waiting for me when I get back. Just have them give me enough to walk on the plane." he responded.

The doctor came in and gave him an injection in the hip to help with walking. "You'll need to rest as much as possible when you get home. And you'll need a lot of physical therapy for your hip, shoulder and arm." He handed him a brown envelope with his medical records from his short stay in the emergency room.

After a few agonizing moments of dressing with the help of the Israeli agent, Tony was on his feet. The injection was holding the pain at bay so he could walk slowly without limping. The two men walked out into the hot sunshine. Amit helped him into the waiting car and they drove to the airport. As they drove, Amit asked him again if he knew who had assaulted him. Tony shook his head.

"You don't want to get her into more trouble, do you?" Amit smiled dourly. "See this bruise on my neck? She did that to me today. Her emotions have made her a danger. Can you trust her?"

"I don't know….maybe. She loved Michael and I killed him." Tony replied.

"She has never loved anyone but her sister. Her father trained her to be what she is just like he trained Ari."

"But Ari resisted his father, and she can change. She is changing—she was changing. Besides, I can't ask Gibbs to choose." Tony sighed. "And if I did, he would choose her. He lost one daughter; he won't lose another."

Amit looked at him, "I think you may underestimate your importance to Agent Gibbs. He has tried to protect you through this whole fiasco. If he hears what she did to you today…"

"Which is why I won't tell him. And neither will you. "said Tony.

"You are loyal to your partner. Is she as loyal to you? " Amit smiled at him. "Loyalty is admirable—if the person is worthy."

"She's my partner, " Tony replied.

When they got to the airport, he forced himself to board the plane. He sat down gingerly in a seat far in the back of the plane. Director Vance boarded and sat near the front. After a few minutes, Gibbs and Ziva boarded. They sat near the director. Gibbs got up and came back to look at Tony, but saw him with his eyes closed and assumed he was already sleeping. He would talk to his agent when they got back home.

The plane took off. Tony took two of the pills the doctor had given him, dry swallowing them because he couldn't open the water bottle with one hand. After a few minutes , he slept.

The plane landed in Spain to refuel. Gibbs and Vance got off the plane. Ziva had spent the last hours alternately crying on Gibb's shoulder and sleeping. She looked at her partner, who seemed to be sleeping. She felt guilty, but could not bring herself to check on him.

Gibbs and Vance got back on the plane. Gibbs handed Ziva a bottle of water and a sandwich. He went back to Tony and sat the bottle and the sandwich down next to him. Tony felt him approach, but kept his eyes shut.

A contingent of soldiers got on the plane—seven men. They came back towards Tony's seat and made a barrier between Tony and the others. One of the men, a corpsman by his uniform, looked over at Tony and said, "Hey, there. Hope we don't bother you. We got a chance to hop this plane and get home a day early."

When Tony didn't respond, the soldier came closer. "Hell, you've been through the wars too. You okay?"

Tony nodded, "I'm fine. Could you do me a favor and open this water bottle for me. "He indicated his broken arm "Can't seem to do it one-handed."

"Sure, buddy. My name is Chris DiAgustino. We're just getting back from a deployment in Qatar. Better than our last one in Afghanistan."

Tony smiled grimly, "Tony DiNozzo here. This must be the Italian side of the plane." He sipped at the water.

"What happened to you anyway, buddy? "Asked the soldier.

"Life….and Israelis. You want this sandwich? I'm not going to be eating it." He replied.

"Thanks, it's been a long time between meals for us. We got protein bars and snacks, but not a sandwich. Want a bar—they're peanut butter and granola?"

Tony shook his head no, but thanked the soldier for his offer. "Tell you what, if you could help me over to the head, I'd sure appreciate it. Don't think I can make it on my own."

DiAgustino helped him up and walked him over to the bathroom (which was more like a port a potty) and stood outside while Tony used it. When he came out, Tony looked to see if Gibbs had noticed him moving, but the marine seemed to be sleeping. He thanked the soldier and sat gingerly back down. DiAgustino handed him a blanket and helped him cover up. "Sleep's the best thing for you. We'll be in DC in five or six hours."

Six hours later, the plane landed. Vance got off without a backward glance. "You can take the next two days off." he said as he left.

Ziva exited the plane and waited by the sedan. Gibbs went back to where Tony was. He had awakened during the landing, aching from his injuries. "DiNozzo, " said Gibbs, "You awake?"

"I'm fine, boss. You go ahead and take care of her. I'll get a cab back to my place. " he said.

"You sure you're fine?'' Gibbs asked.

A voice from outside the plane called Gibbs' name. It was Ziva. She needed Gibbs. Tony forced himself to smile and said, "You need to get her settled. I can take care of myself."

"You're sure?" asked Gibbs again.

"Yeah, boss, I'll be fine. " Tony repeated.

Gibbs looked closely at his agent. Ziva called him again. "OK, but call me this evening to let me know you made it home." With that, he left.

DiAgustino had been listening to the conversation, hanging back after his buddies had left. "You are not fine, DiNozzo. What do you need?"

Tony said, "Help me get up. I'll call a cab and go home to rest up."

DiAgustino grabbed Tony by his good arm and helped him to his feet. The pain was nearly unbearable. Nearly. Tony walked slowly towards the entrance of the plane. Gibbs and the director's cars were gone.

DiAgustino walked behind him so that when Tony fell he caught him. "You're going to the emergency room, buddy, whether you like it or not."

Chapter Two

Jimmy had been studying for hours—the infectious disease test was coming up in a few days, and he wanted to score as high as possible. When the phone rang, he muttered sourly to himself, but answered, "Palmer here."

A voice from the line asked him if he could come to the hospital as Agent DiNozzo had listed him as his medical proxy. Jimmy had his shoes on and was on his way as he answered that he would be there in a few minutes. Speeding through the streets, he made it to Bethesda in less than fifteen minutes. He parked and entered through the emergency room door. "Jimmy Palmer for Agent DiNozzo", he said to the young nurse at the desk.

"He's in room C. Are you his proxy and emergency contact? We need you to sign his admission form." The nurse said, handing him a clipboard.

Jimmy signed quickly and made his way to the room. "You need to wait for the doctor, " the nurse protested.

"I am a doctor." said Jimmy as he opened the door to the exam room.

He stopped and looked at his friend lying on the exam table, his eyes shut, his face pale and bruises covering his torso and shoulder. A doctor was listening to his chest. He looked up and asked Jimmy who he was. Jimmy explained he was a doctor and Tony's friend and medical proxy.

The doctor explained Tony's injuries. His broken arm had had to be reset. The shoulder had been subluxed into place. The main injury was the cracked hip. It was a small break, but would need a month or more of rest and rehab.

The doctor had Tony admitted and moved to a room. Jimmy sat waiting for Tony to wake up after the pain medication wore off. Dr. Pitt had come as soon as he had heard his star patient was back in the hospital. He was relieved that there seemed to be no lung involvement. Jimmy and he sat by Tony's bed.

"I think it looks more like Australia." said Dr. Pitt.

Jimmy replied, "No, more like Greenland."

Tony stirred and opened his eyes, "What the heck are you two talking about?" he muttered.

"Welcome back to the conscious world, DiNozzo, " said Dr. Pitt.

"We were just trying to decide if bruise on your hip looked more like Greenland than Australia. It's longer than its wide, so I say Greenland." said Jimmy.

Tony rolled his eyes. Dr. Pitt said, "Well, your lungs are fine. I have to go. I'll stop by tomorrow and see how you're doing."

After he left, Jimmy asked, "So, Tony, do you want me to call Gibbs?"

Tony shook his head. A mistake. The throbbing nearly brought tears to his eyes. Nearly. "No, Jimmy, he's got his hands full with Ziva. I just need to go home and rest the weekend."

"No, Tony. You need to stay here until you are ready for rehab. Your injuries will take weeks to heal—if you follow the rehab. "

"Jimmy, can you fill out the medical leave request and give a copy to HR, Gibbs and Vance? " Tony asked. "I've got an idea about rehab. " Jimmy went out to the hospital desk area and used one of their computers to access the NCIS site and downloaded the medical leave request form. While he was filling it out, Tony charmed a nurse into letting him use her cell phone and made a call.

Jimmy finished the form and brought it in for Tony to sign. "I'll make copies tomorrow and have them on the right desks by 0800. What about rehab? Your doctor says they have it here and he can admit you."

"Sure, Jimmy. Could you do me a big favor?" Tony asked.

"Of course, Tony. Anything you need. Want me to call Agent Gibbs and Dr. Mallard?" asked Jimmy.

"No, let them sleep. Go to my place for me. Here's the key. "Tony handed a key to Jimmy. "In the front closet, under a floorboard, there's a backpack. Can you bring it to me?"

Jimmy was gone only about half an hour and handed Tony the backpack. "Pretty heavy bag, Tony. Emergency supplies?"

"Yeah, kid. Go on home now and I'll let you know what is happening tomorrow. OK?"

Jimmy reluctantly left. Tony made another call. An hour later, he was gone.

Chapter Three

Gibbs had spent the weekend calming Ziva. She had alternately cursed her father and burst into tears. She knew she had cut her ties to Mossad and Israel by coming back with Gibbs. She was angry, confused, and didn't know what to think. Michael had used her. Her father had used her. Tony had tried to help her and she had hurt him. Gibbs had tried to call Tony several times, getting only the answering machine. Never be unreachable was not working.

He had left Ziva at his place, sleeping he hoped, and had gone into work early. There on his desk was a piece of paper. It was Tony's medical leave request form. He read over the injuries his agent had received. What had happened in Israel? Tony had landed there with bruises and a broken radius and returned with a dislocated shoulder, cracked hip and a re-broken arm. Who had done this to his agent and why hadn't he said anything? He could have kicked himself. He'd been so worried about Ziva that he had ignored Tony.

He saw the name at the bottom of the form. Palmer! He stormed down to autopsy, only to find it deserted. It was still very early. He went back up to his desk and tried to call Tony. No answer. He was about to call Palmer when his phone rang. It was Vance calling him to his office.

He was surprised to find Vance at the office so early, but went upstairs.

He entered Vance's office to find the director holding a copy of Tony's medical leave request. "What the hell happened to your agent?" Vance asked. "Why didn't he tell us he was injured?"

Gibbs sat down in the chair opposite the desk. "I don't know. I was preoccupied with Ziva. He never said a word about being injured."

"I just got off the phone with Hadar. He called to ask about DiNozzo. I had to tell him I didn't know anything about his injuries. He wouldn't tell me what happened. Said I'd have to ask DiNozzo. I thought you were his medical proxy and next of kin" said Vance testily.

"Not since Mexico, I guess. Palmer is. He's not in yet and no one answers DiNozzo's phone."

"I don't like Eli David letting one of his men hurt one of our agents. I want to know what happened." said Vance.

Gibbs went down to autopsy to find Ducky there. He was on the phone. "No, I understand. Once you get him on his way, you take the rest of the day to study for your tests."

Ducky turned to Gibbs and sighed, "Anthony seems to have come back from Israel with more injuries than when he left here. What happened?"

Gibbs sat down on the chair by the desk, "That's what I'd like to know. He never said a word about being hurt. I was so busy with Ziva and her emotions that I assumed he was all right. Rule eight…I blew it with him, again."

Ducky replied, "I spoke to Mr. Palmer. Apparently the hospital called him last night. A corpsman flying on the plane with you took Anthony to the emergency room. His hip is cracked; he'd had a dislocated shoulder and re-broke his arm. He had a concussion, as well and stitches to the back of his head. He will need at least a month to six weeks of therapy for his hip. Palmer said he'd already transferred to a re-hab center last night."

"That was quick. "said Gibbs.

"Indeed," said Ducky.

"Where is he?" asked Gibbs.

"I don't know, "answered Ducky. "And Mr. Palmer is taking tests today and won't been in until morning. We will just have to wait."

Chapter Four

The next morning, Jimmy walked into work with some trepidation. He knew Gibbs and the others were going to want answers. As soon as he had put his coat in the closet and changed into scrubs, he began the routine work of preparing the autopsy suite. He was cleaning the tables, when Gibbs came in.

"I haven't heard anything from him since yesterday." said Jimmy quickly. "And I don't know where he is. He went to a rehab center and doesn't want anyone to know where he is. He said he wasn't sure Mossad was finished with him yet."

"Why the hell didn't he tell me he was injured?" Gibbs asked impatiently.

Jimmy gulped and straightened his shoulders, "He said you needed to take care of Ziva. When I went back to the hospital this morning, he was gone. He left me a note and these letters to give to you and the rest of the team."

Gibbs grabbed the papers from Jimmy. "What did his note say?" he demanded.

"Just that he wasn't sure Mossad was through with him and he didn't want anyone else to be in danger. Maybe he said more in his notes to you guys."

Gibbs went upstairs. "He left a note for you, too, Dr. Mallard."

He handed the doctor the note. Ducky opened the note and began to read.

_Dear Ducky,_

_I'm sorry to duck out on you like this. (ha ha), but my injuries are going to take a while to get better and I don't want the Mossad folks knowing where I am. I'm going to a top rehab center and will be gone a couple of months. Take care of Jimmy for me. I told him not to call you last night, so don't blame him._

_See you soon (well, not soon. But pretty soon.)_

_Anthony DiNozzo._

Ducky shook his head and sighed. "Stubborn and self-sacrificing as ever. Come on, Jimmy, let's get started with today's business."

Upstairs, Gibbs had dropped a letter on McGee's desk. He sat down to read his.

_Hey, Boss,_

_Not going to be any good in the field for a few months. Need some serious physical therapy after my fun time in Israel. Don't try to find me. I think that the Israeli folks may still want to "talk" to me. I've got a great place to lie low for a while, and if you come looking for me, they can follow. So don't set McGee and Abby looking for me. Thanks for everything. "_

_Tony_

When McGee came into the office at eight, he found an envelope on his desk. He opened it and read:

_Hey, Tim,_

_I'm going to be out of commission for a few months. Everything you need is in the yellow book. Please don't try to find me. I'm not sure that the Israelis are through with me, and they are clever enough to follow your cyber attempts. Watch your six. And watch Gibbs' too._

_Tony_

Three months without DiNozzo? Tim wasn't sure if he was glad or worried. No "Probie" or McNIcknames, but he had come to rely on the older man in the field. And yellow book? How was the phone book going to be of any help to him?

Jimmy had taken a note to Abby, as well. She read it after he left.

_Dear Abby,_

_I have a problem…oh, you're not that Abby. Anyway, you may have noticed I am not in the office today. I had a close encounter of the painful kind in Israel and am taking some medical leave. Please do not try to trace me, because I think the Israelis may still want to "talk" to me, and I am definitely done with talking to them. I am going to a good rehab place and will call you when I can. Take care of Gibbs for me and help McProbie when he gets behind. _

_Thanks, Love ya, gal,_

_Very Special Agent Anthony D. (only you know what that is for) DiNozzo._

Abby hung the note on her mass spectrometer.

Gibbs took the note to Ziva home with him. She was resting at his house until she got sorted out. She took the envelope from him and opened it:

_Ziva,_

_I guess my "trip" in Israel was a little worse than I thought. You need to tell Gibbs what happened. If he finds out on his own, he'll be pissed at you. He's already going to be royally pissed at me. Amit won't tell, but your father may have video of our dance._

_Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo._

She wadded the note up and put it in her pocket. Gibbs wanted to ask what it said, but held back. She would tell him if he needed to know.

Chapter Six

Tony's arrival at St. Martins had gone very smoothly. A private jet had been able to land a few dozen miles from the isolated spot, and an ambulance had been waiting to take Tony to the rehab center. Father Joseph, the abbot and chief medical officer, had looked over Tony's chart from Israel and Bethseda, and had ordered pain medications for him. Pete, his cousin, had stayed the night, but had to get back to business the next day, so after seeing Tony awake and not too uncomfortable, he had been driven back to his plane where the pilot was waiting.

Tony was sitting awkwardly in padded wheel chair. He had been awakened earlier than he was ready for by a wizened figure in a brown robe. The elderly monk did not speak as he pulled Tony up from the bed, covered him with a white robe, placed sandals on his feet and placed a soft blankets around his shoulders and on his lap. His gap-toothed smile was pleasant and somehow, Tony knew he could trust this monk. The monk pushed Tony's chair out of the room and into the hallway. Tony could see a large sunny room with a number of tables. The monk pushed Tony up to one of the tables.

There were three other men sitting at the table. They were eating a breakfast of oatmeal, toast, orange juice and sliced fruit. The monk brought a tray to the table and sat it down in front of Tony.

"Thanks," Tony said.

"Brother Zachariah, there, has taken a vow of silence," said the oldest of the three men. " I, on the other hand, have not. My name is Father Dana. This one, "he said indicating a thin, balding man at his left, "is Captain James O'Hara of the NYPD, but here he is known as Brother James. The guy across from you is Brother Louis, also known as Officer Louis Bell of Chicago."

Tony nodded at the men and said, "I'm Anthony DiNozzo of NCIS….." He trailed off waiting for them to ask what NCIS was.

"A Navy cop, said the man identified as Brother Louis. "They treat cops and priests here. And apparently special agents. A Boston cop left a big bequest to the monastery with the provision that they treat injured police officers. "

"You haven't got your schedule yet, "said Brother James, holding up a laminated tag that was hanging around his neck. "This tells you what your day will be. See, I've got hydrotherapy after breakfast, massage later and a lovely visit with a psychologist this afternoon. You'll get yours sometime today, so enjoy your unscheduled time."

Tony ate without enthusiasm and listened as the other men discussed the weather, their therapy plans and the serious desire to find a way to smuggle in some junk food.

After he had eaten, Brother Zachariah wheeled him into an office where a monk in a brown robe with a stethoscope draped over his shoulder was sitting at a desk. "Good morning, Mr. DiNozzo. I'm Father Justinian. I've been going over your files and want to talk over your therapy plan. While you're here, you will be known as Brother…" the monk paused, "We already have a Brother Anthony, so if you're ok with it, we'll call you Brother Dominic while you're here. "

"That's ok with me." Said Tony.

Father Justinian wrote on a chart and then handed Tony or Brother Dominic as he was to be known for the duration of his stay, a laminated card. "Here is your schedule for the next few days. Brother Zachariah will be your nurse and take you to therapy. He's a silent man, but you'll get along with him. You'll start this morning with water exercises. You'll be resting a lot as well. You need to give your shoulder and hip time to recover."

Brother Zachariah wheeled Tony into a large room with an Olympic sized pool. The smell of chlorine was clean and pleasant. He indicated Tony should stand and before he knew it, Tony was wearing a pair of baggy black swim trunks. He wasn't exactly sure how the monk had managed to pull the trunks on him without removing the robe. Then off came the robe, and the monk was wrapping the cast on his arm with plastic. Brother Zachariah stripped off his robe, revealing a similar pair of baggy black swim trunks. He then helped Tony walk down the ramp into the warm water.

There was an underwater treadmill with bars to hold on to. Brother Zachariah indicated Tony should hold on and begin to walk. The treadmill moved slowly and Tony fell into the rhythm. The warm water felt good on his battered hip and shoulder.

Fifteen minutes later, he was led back up the steps. In a quick motion, he was dried and covered with the warm white robe. He noticed that the patients all wore white robes, while the brothers were in brown.

Brother Zachariah pointed at the card. He was scheduled for a nap. It sounded like a very good idea.

The next day and those that followed were filled with water therapy, massage, and rest. The food was plain, but hearty, and Tony found that he really didn't miss the pizza and chocolate that the other men longed for.

After two weeks, he began to walk with a walker for short distances. The bruises that had covered his hip and shoulder faded to a dull yellow.

Chapter Seven

McGee was frustrated and embarrassed. They had run out of evidence bags at a crime scene, and Gibbs had not been pleasant. "It's your job to stock the van, McGee. Borrow some from Ducky and make sure this doesn't happen again."

Damn, DiNozzo, he thought as he sat at his desk after Gibbs had left. Balboa's SFA, Johansen, noticed him sitting with his head in his hands. "Say, McGee, what's so bad?" he asked.

"I didn't get the van stocked and Gibbs was pissed. How did I know I needed to do it?" McGee sounded petulant even to himself.

"It's all in the yellow book, McGee, didn't you use it? I told Tony it was time you started stocking the van and doing the inventory reports, but he likes doing it himself—bringing order out of chaos, he calls it."

McGee shook his head, "Yellow book, yeah, Tony said to use it, but how is the phone book going to help me?"

Johansen reached over to Tony's desk and pulled out a large yellow notebook. "This yellow book, McGee. Gees, it says "Procedures and Inventory Forms" in huge letters. Tony always updates it and sends the updates to all the senior field agents. Guess I'll have to do it till he gets back. Anyway, you junior agents should be doing the inventory reports."

Johansen sat down in Tony's chair. "So, McGee, how's the TAD doing?"

"Willis? He's ok. Afraid of his own shadow, but does all right with bagging and tagging." said McGee grudgingly.

Johansen smiled, "Kind of like you when you started. So, Ziva? What's happening with her? I haven't seen her around here. Is she still a liaison?"

McGee shrugged. "I don't know. Gibbs is not very communicative at best, and these three weeks without Tony have been rough."

"Yeah, Tony always tried to take the brunt of Gibbs' temper. I told him he should let you grow up. I guess you are now." said Johansen.

The elevator door opened, and Gibbs came out carrying his usual coffee. "Let me know if you need help McGee. I owe it to Tony. He helped me out a lot when I started. See you." Johansen left the area.

Gibbs sat his cup down on his desk. "McGee, you got the van stocked right now?" he asked gruffly.

McGee nodded, "Johansen helped me out. He asked about Ziva."

"She's still out on leave. Got to get her head together. Where's Willis?"

"He took the evidence log down to Abby. He's afraid of her, but …"

Gibbs interrupted, "He's afraid of his own shadow. Go home. It's been a long day." They had all seemed like long days without Tony. And going home to a brooding, moody Ziva had been difficult. He was secretly glad when she decided to move to temporary housing.

Chapter Eight

Brother Zachariah held the towel out to Tony. He had graduated from the treadmill to swimming laps. Only a few at first, but after two more weeks he was up to forty laps. His cast had been replaced with a waterproof plastic splint. He was due for some time in the hot tub and was looking forward to time in the warm bubbling water. Brother James was there already, hogging the main jet as usual. "Morning, Brother Dominic, "he said over the sound of the rushing water. "What's on your card for the rest of the day? I've got another week and they're kicking me out of here."

It had been five weeks since Tony had arrived at the rehab center. He was feeling much more like his old self, but still needed to work on his hip. It ached most of the time, but less each day.

"Brother Z and I are going for a walk after lunch. My hip is nearly healed and I need to get back some stamina. I think they're going to send me home in a couple weeks. You couldn't smuggle me out with you, could you?"

"No, you'd better stay and finish out your program. "said James, relaxing against the bubbling jets.

Tony leaned back against the seat and let the warm water caress him. "Hey, James, could you take some letters for me and mail them from the airport in New York? I don't want to be traced back here."

James nodded. Tony had told him only a little of how he had been injured, but he understood his need for secrecy.

After what seemed like much too short a time in the warmth of the hot tub, Brother Zachariah helped him out and into his robe. Instead of the sandals he had worn, the monk helped him put on socks and walking shoes. He had managed to leave the walker behind, but still used a cane for balance. He went into the dining room and ate a lunch of soup and bread. He put an apple in the pocket of his robe and went out to meet Brother Zachariah who had eaten his own lunch in the company of his brother monks.

They went outside into the crisp mountain air. The sky was dappled with a few high clouds, and only a light breeze moved the leaves of the trees.

Brother Zachariah was carrying a square plaid cushion, all greens, reds and yellows. It was garish, but Tony knew it was soft. They walked nearly a mile at a gentle pace until they came to a bench. The cushion was placed on the bench, and Tony sat down. The elderly monk sat next to him as they both looked down the valley at the winding river below. Tony had found he could sit there for hours and watch the occasional barges and boats or just watch the water flow. Being with the silent monk was restful. He had had time to think about his future and what if anything he would say to Gibbs when he returned. He hoped that Ziva had talked to Gibbs.

After a couple of hours, the two returned to the monastery. Tony had taken to going into the chapel while the monks were chanting the daily services. The beautiful music reminded him of his early years when he and his mother had attended church each week. The soaring voices of the monks were calming and restful. He listened and felt a peace he had forgotten about.

The next few days passed in the same manner, the rhythm of the monastic life and his physical therapy providing him a kind of tranquility and comfort.

As Brother James was leaving, Tony handed him a brown envelope, filled with letters he had written to his team, to Abby, Jimmy and Ducky. The envelope was wrapped in plastic. He told James to take the plastic off without getting his fingerprints on it when he mailed it. James smiled and said he would enjoy the challenge.

Chapter Nine

The mail room sorters had placed the brown envelope on Gibbs' desk after extensive checking because there was no return address, so the mail had had to be checked before it was delivered. Everyone remembered the SWAK letter of a few years earlier. After checking the envelope, the mail room sorters had placed it on Gibb's desk.

When Gibbs came in, he opened it. There were seven envelopes inside, each addressed to a member of his group. Gibbs opened his immediately.

_Hi, Boss,_

_I'm getting better really fast. Should be able to get out of here in another few weeks. Hope everyone is doing ok. I've had time to do a lot of thinking. What about, you wonder? Well, will there be a place for me at NCIS when I get back? Two months is a long time to be gone, and we all know I am not irreplaceable. Anyway, I miss you, the scent of sawdust and coffee. We need to talk when I get back. I know it's not something we do, but I need to understand some things._

_Very Special (But not limping anymore) Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo._

Gibbs sighed. He knew he had some explaining to do to his injured agent. He had let him down, focusing on the more obvious needs of Ziva. And Ziva had some explaining to do. She seemed a number of times on the verge of saying something important to him, but hesitated and stopped.

He looked through the rest of the notes. He placed Tim's on his desk and went down to autopsy where he put one on Ducky's desk and one on Palmer's workspace. He would have liked to read them himself, but had promised himself he would respect Tony's privacy.

He took the next note to Abby. She was already at work, testing some gun residue from their last case. With just Tim and their probie, Willis, who had managed to stick around and endure Gibbs' temper, things had gone much slower. Ziva was not allowed to work cases and had been seconded to the international desk where she was analyzing Intel. It was probably a better use of her skills anyway, and he had been unable to completely trust her.

He handed Abby her envelope and watched as she read it. "Oh, Gibbs," she said, "Tony says he's healing up very well. We still don't know exactly how he was injured, do we? He says he will buy me a Caff-Pow when he gets back."

"That all he wrote?" Gibbs asked.

"Well, he said he had been doing a lot of walking and water therapy. And he's growing a beard. Ooh, I don't think he would look good with a beard. Do you, Gibbs?"

McGee sat wearily down at his desk. He looked around. Gibbs was down with Abby, and Willis was getting them coffee. He and Willis had just spent two hours restocking the van and checking to make sure everything was ready. He had finished his report at two in the morning. He wondered again how Tony had make being SFA look so easy. He noticed the envelope on his desk. He opened it and read:

_Dear Probie,_

_I am only a few weeks from returning. Hope things have gone well for you. I appreciate you not looking for me. I am still not convinced that Mossad is through with me. Take this from me, they are not the folks you want mad at you. I know this will sound paranoid, but please watch Ziva….I don't know what she has told you happened in Israel, but I am not sure you want to trust her with your six. I know she'll obey Gibbs, but sometimes she doesn't feel she is in the chain of command. See you sometime soon. _

_Very special gimpy agent DiNozzo._

Tim sighed. He knew what Tony meant. Ziva would not follow any orders that did not come directly from Gibbs.

A few minutes later, Ziva entered the bullpen on her way to the international desk. She looked at the envelope on her former desk, ripped it open and read.

_Officer David,_

_I hope you have cleared the air with Gibbs. I won't lie when he asks me what happened. He had better have already heard it from you. He doesn't give trust easily. I know why he trusts you, but even that will not make him forgive you for keeping what you did to me from him. I should be back in a few weeks._

_Special Agent DiNozzo_

She ripped the letter into shreds and walked out angrily. How did Tony know why Gibbs trusted her? He had killed Michael and deserved every injury she had inflicted on him. But, for some reason, Gibbs had a soft spot for the bumbling agent. She would have to think very seriously about how to tell Gibbs and justify her actions.

Chapter Nine

Abby had come in to the lab early to finish up some tests for Balboa's team. The gunshot residue and DNA would link a petty officer to the attempt on his commander's life. She saw a brown envelope on her desk. There was no return address. She placed it in the hazardous materials container and using gloves opened it.

Out fell a flash drive. She called McGee and told him to join her in the lab. He was still on his way to work, so while she waited, she got out an old laptop that was not connected to the network in case the flash drive contained a virus. When McGee arrived, she took the drive from the container and inserted into the USB port on the computer. It had only one file—a video.

She opened it, and both she and McGee were horrified by what they saw. Abby called Gibbs who watched it and ordered her to send the file to Vance.


End file.
